


And With A Snap of Her Fingers[The World Began Anew]

by MerelyJamieMerelyWriting



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alcoholic Tony Stark, Caffeine effects Peter weirdly, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Cohabitation, Domestic Fluff, Feelings Realization, First Time, Fix-It of Sorts, Grief/Mourning, Happy Ending, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Living Together, M/M, Marijuana, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker Is 18 In This, Peter Parker Knows What He Wants, Platonic Cuddling, Slow Burn, Tony Stark Resists, Tony Throws His Money Around, UST
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-05-12 21:16:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19237258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerelyJamieMerelyWriting/pseuds/MerelyJamieMerelyWriting
Summary: What if Pepper had snapped instead of Tony?  What if May Parker had died in a snap related accident and hadn't been snapped like Peter?How would Tony deal with losing the woman he thought was the love of his life?  How would he deal with the guilt of saving his daughter at the expense of people like May Parker?  How would Peter handle being orphaned for a second time in his short life?Will Peter be able to resist testing the tenuous shifting boundaries of their friendship as life settles into a new and foreign feeling 'normal'?  Will Tony be able to ignore Peter's sometimes fumbling and somewhat hapless flirting in order to preserve the innocence of their mentorship or will he drunkenly stumble down the path of good intentions to a destination he never would have imagined in reach?TLDR: In which Peter moves into the lakehouse with Morgan and Tony after Pepper's funeral and they all slowly begin to heal.[This will be more light-hearted than it sounds, promise!]





	1. Chapter 1

_"That's my husband asshole, hands off!" she'd shouted, fingers snapping before she really stopped to consider what would happen to her. Thanos had snatched Tony out of the air, poised to deliver a potentially fatal blow, and she'd seen red. The gauntlet she'd been carrying to the van was on her hand as she snapped and willed with all her might that Thanos and everyone fighting for him would just crumble away like so much dust, the pain that lanced through her afterward almost taking her by surprise._

_Tony had screamed her name as the hand holding him crumbled and flew toward her as fast as he could, demanding her status from Friday but already knowing deep down that this wasn't something she was coming back from. He'd landed in a scramble and crawled over to her, kissing her desperately and calling her name again._

_"Tony- Tony, I'm so sorry-" she coughed and Tony sobbed, shaking his head._

_"Don't you dare apologize, you beautiful goddamn hero- You always have to show me up at every opportunity, huh?"_

_"It worked?" she wheezed, a tear rolling down her cheek as she struggled to smile._

_"Yeah Pep, you won- You saved us all, I'm so goddamn proud of you baby- I love you so much," Tony rushed to assure her, pressing another kiss to her lips._

_"Love you more," Pepper groaned weakly, reaching up to smudge at his tear streaked cheek as she felt everything starting to go dark. "You're gonna be okay Tony, take care of her-"_

_"I'll never be the same Pep, not without you, but I'll keep going alright? Don't worry about us, we'll be okay. You rest now sweetheart, I've got it from here." As he'd finished speaking her hand had fallen from his cheek and he recoiled slightly, a keening wail escaping him as he wrapped his arms around himself and shook._

_"Oh fuck Mr. Stark I-" Peter gasped out, voice unsteady as he stumbled forward and hesitantly laid a hand on Tony's shoulder. He'd swung in only a second behind Tony and had seen the entire scene, flashing back to his uncle's death before he could block it out. "I'm so sorry, it's gonna be- it's gonna suck Mr. Stark but you're gonna be okay."_

_Tony stood, twisting around sharply and wrapping his arms around Peter as he lost his composure into the kid's shoulder._

Tony woke with a gasp, eyes flying open as the crushing weight of the empty half of his bed settled back over him. It was the morning of Pepper's funeral, three days after she'd saved the world and wiped Thanos out and Tony hadn't left his room for more than about twenty minutes total. Rhodes had stayed with him the last few days to help him take care of Morgan, not sure what Tony could handle and wanting to help however possible.

Pepper's funeral was bright and beautiful, as reminiscent of the woman Tony had loved as he could manage. Flowers were everywhere, Peter's friend had brought an enormous absolutely gorgeous oil painting of Pepper and Tony in their armor fighting to protect each other backs and Tony'd had to bite back a sob.

Peter'd climbed up to the roof after the ceremony to avoid the crowds he wasn't ready to face. He'd already decided he wasn't going back to the city, school wouldn't be starting back up for another two months and he couldn't bring himself to stay in that empty apartment a second longer. He watched the guests slowly start to leave as the sun began to set over the horizon.

"Kid," Tony greeted, armor retracting as he set down a couple feet from Peter. "Getting a bit late for such a long drive back to the city, everything okay up here?"

"No, I uh-" Peter began, sitting up as his eyes welled with tears. "May's not- It's been too long Mr. Stark, I don't think she's coming back and I can't spend another minute in that apartment alone."

Tony looked stricken, stumbling to his knees in front of Peter and reaching for him. "I'm so sorry Peter, there was a- A plane went down and leveled the hospital she was in but they never- There was no proof and I- I protected your apartment hoping she'd vanished before the crash and would come back with you if we could ever actually fix it."

"Could I just maybe like- I don't know, stay here with you for a bit sir? Please?"

"Yeah, of course, stay as long as you like. Shit, I can't promise I'll be great company but-"

"Same," Peter shot back with a tiny smile, squeezing Tony back briefly before leaning back to make eye contact. "Thanks Mr. Stark, seriously, I didn't know what to do- I couldn't stay there pretending she was coming back but I don't exactly have anywhere else to go? I'm already eighteen so technically I don't really _need_ a guardian or anything but it's just too quiet without her."

"Have you-" Tony paused as Peter stomach growled loudly and narrowed his eyes. "What have you been eating the last couple days?"

Peter shrugged sheepishly, looking away. "I uh- I don't have any money exactly and May never kept cash around so- Nothing sir, I haven't really eaten anything."

"Kitchen, now," Tony announced shortly, leaving the roof and heading inside as Peter trailed behind him. Peter watched wordlessly from the counter as Tony grabbed a frying pan and tossed together a simple cheeseburger for him, shoving the plate down the counter to him with an expectant nod.

Peter started to eat, tears beginning to fall after the second bite. Tony moved closer, rubbing Peter's back soothingly as he continued to scarf down the burger. "Holy shit, Mr. Stark this is amazing- thank you so much!"

Tony swallowed thickly as he got a burger ready for himself as well, keeping an eye on Peter as he finished his burger and moved on to a glass of water. "Stay as long as you want Pete, okay? I'm serious, the spare room is yours. No matter what happens you will always have a home here. I promise."

"I can help with cleaning and I can watch Morgan for you whenever you need-"

"Cleaning? Like anyone in this house cleans, I'm Tony Stark- You think I don't have bots for that?" Tony snorted and waved a hand dismissively, pausing and glancing toward Morgan's room with a wince. "Morgan though, I- She's just-"

Peter waited for Tony to find the words to continue, his own loss resonating all the more powerfully in his chest in the face of Tony's pain.

"You know, it's the dumbest thing but- She smells the same?" Tony paused again and glanced at Peter as though to check that he didn't sound insane. Peter offered him a wobbly smile and Tony cleared his throat before explaining. "Pep never wore perfume, said it irritated her skin, but she always just smelled absolutely divine and Morgan- She- I ducked down to give her a kiss goodnight last night and I almost lost it because I thought I'd never smell that scent ever again and there it was-"

"I don't want her to see me fall apart but-" Tony shrugged helplessly and tossed Peter a humorless smile. "I'm not okay. How am I supposed to be okay? But if _I_ can't even manage it then how's _she_ ever gonna be okay?"

"She's got you," Peter mumbled, reaching out and locking his fingers around Tony's wrist. "I lost both of my parents when I was her age Mr. Stark, I had Aunt May and Uncle Ben. You don't have to be okay, you just have to be there."

Tony's eyes had landed on Peter's fingers when they'd circled his wrist, distracted by the effortless strength in Peter's grip until Peter's voice had cracked on May's name. He looked up as he settled his free hand over Peter's, squeezing comfortingly when he saw the tears in Peter's eyes.

"I am," he forced out gruffly, shifting his gaze to a spot on the wall over Peter's left shoulder and attempting not to break down. "Here, I mean. For both of you, not just Morgan. You're not- I don't want you feeling like you're on your own now cause you're _not_ kid, you've got me."

Peter's grip tightened reflexively as he swallowed hard and nodded shortly. "I appreciate the support but it goes both ways, you know? I'm here for you too, Mr. Stark, I'm not a little kid anymore- I just mean, we can be here for each other- You're not alone either!"

Tony grinned at him instead of sobbing like he wanted to and reached up to ruffle Peter's hair affectionately. "You got yourself a deal Mr. Parker."

Peter let go of Tony's wrist and slid his fingers down to shake his hand with a return grin. "No take backs!"

Tony shook his head and took Peter upstairs to his new room once they'd each finished a second burger. Tony eyed the backpack Peter had with him skeptically, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet and fishing out his card.

"I'm giving this to you, I don't want to hear a single argument so don't even start-" Tony glared at Peter firmly until he stopped stammering and accepted the card from his outstretched hand. "Anything you need- Clothes, furniture, bedding, electronics- Goes on the card with overnight shipping, it doesn't have a limit so go absolutely wild. Questions?"

"Mr. Stark, I-I can't just- I mean, I can't just take your money and I can't exactly pay you ba-"

Tony's hand flew up to cover Peter's mouth and shook his head with a chuckle. "Not a question, and I know you don't mean to insult me so let me assure you Mr. Parker- You absolutely can and will take my money and I will not even begin to entertain the notion of you repaying me."

"I'm not a child and I'm not a charity case-" Peter snapped, frustration bleeding into his tone.

"No, you're an Avenger and you lost your life five years ago in a battle you followed me into," Tony said loudly over the rest of whatever Peter's complaint was. "You said it yourself on the ship, if you died it was my-"

Peter looked horrified as he exclaimed, "Oh my God, I didn't- That's- I didn't mean that Mr. Stark, c'mon you gotta see that there's no way in hell that was y-"

"Would it make you feel better if you were in charge of groceries and household expenses in exchange for free use of the card?" Tony interrupted, not interested in getting into the subject of his internalized guilt at this particular moment. Peter chewed on his lip as he nodded silently, clearly struggling to let the subject drop.

"Now," Tony began, turning toward the door and gesturing for Peter to follow. "C'mon, you can borrow some of my clothes until you buy more-"

"Mr. Stark, I can just go back to Queens and get my-" Peter protested, breaking off when Tony turned on his heel to growl back at him.

"Don't be ridiculous-"

"I'm being ridicu- Are you seriously trying to say- _I'm_ not the one being 'ridiculous' here sir," Peter spluttered indignantly, trying to summon a more well-reasoned tone as he continued, "It's seriously already above and beyond to let me stay here and on top of that you wanna-"

"Pete, I swear to God if you _don't_ buy them for yourself? I'm just gonna buy you an entire wardrobe myself and I promise you I will absolutely go completely overboard." Tony quirked an eyebrow and tilted his head, the body language version of 'your move'.

Peter's eyes went wide and he blinked at Tony incredulously for a minute. "You're unbelievable."

"I'm gonna take that as a compliment," Tony called over his shoulder as he resumed his course to his bedroom. He sent Peter back to his room with a bunch of old graphic tees with science puns and a couple of pairs of lounge pants before ducking into Morgan's room for her goodnight kiss.

When he went back downstairs he found Rhodey drinking a beer in the kitchen with a slightly disapproving twist to his mouth that Tony wasn't particularly fond of.

"Rhodey-"

"You think that's a good idea?" Rhodes asked evenly, face aiming for neutral and almost succeeding as he tilted his beer bottle in the direction of the spare room and tossed a bottle to Tony.

"How much did you hear?" Tony asked, trying and failing not to sound annoyed as he opened the bottle and took a swig.

"I went upstairs to check on Morgan and heard you insisting that he go on a shopping spree to outfit his new room here-" Rhodes bit his lip and shook his head, looking away testily. "You've barely functioned the last three days, you think adding a teenager to the mix is a-"

"So you didn't hear the only important part which is that May Parker _died_ when a plane crashed into her hospital after the pilot turned to ash, she was never turned to ash and she isn't coming back and that's because _I was selfish_ ," Tony hissed, face contorting with self hatred and disappointment.

Rhodey's eyebrows shot up and his mouth fell open slightly as he processed the new information. "Fuck, Tone that really blows- like maximum level suckitude doesn't even seem to do it justice and in that case you definitely made the right call letting him stay but-" he paused, knowing Tony wasn't gonna like the next part and steeling himself for the reaction. "I'm just not seeing how it's remotely your fault."

"I only helped fix things on the condition that we not undo the last five years, that we bring the ashed back to the present, and I didn't-" Tony's voice gave out and he took a quick pull from his beer before continuing miserably. "No, you know- It's not even that I didn't think about the countless people that would still be dead if we did that because I _did_ , I just- I refused to think about it, I chose my- my- I was selfish Rhodes, I didn't care how many people would still be dead as long as she was still alive."

"You can't think like that man, that's not- Nothing good will come from that, okay?" Rhodes replied, looking a little lost before shaking his head and adding sympathetically, "You saved your daughter, that's not a bad-"

"No, you know what that's not? Heroic," Tony hissed, glaring fiercely at his friend. "I chose the one over the many, I was _selfish_. When it mattered most, I was selfish and because of that Peter-"

"Enough," Rhodey said sternly, frowning at Tony over his beer. "You did the best you could Tony. It is not your fault that May Parker is dead, that's on Thanos. To think anything else is going to eat you alive from the inside out, so cut it the hell out- That kid needs you."

Tony nodded wordlessly and they finished their beers in companionable silence. He walked Rhodes to the door and hugged him tightly. "Thanks."

"Anytime Tony," Rhodes replied, squeezing back reassuringly. "I mean that, and I'll be back as soon as I can- Promise."

Tony went back to his room and drank until he passed out, unaware that he was in a bed at all let alone that it was emptier than usual.

******

Peter woke up slowly the next morning, the mattress he was sleeping on probably cost more than his apartment back in the city so it was no wonder he'd slept better than he ever remembered sleeping before.

His phone was digging into his side and he pulled it out sleepily, scanning through the purchases he'd made the night before to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything or gotten anything too extravagant. A new SI phone that had just been released, a laptop, a ridiculously expensive comforter that reviews promised was like sleeping in a cloud, a couple sweaters and v neck tees, a pair of skinny jeans and a new pair of sneakers.

Peter thought for a moment then added his favorite lube to the cart before he could think better of it. He added a toothbrush and some boxer briefs then checked out, tossing his phone aside and rolling out of bed to stretch. He glanced at the clock and wondered if Tony would even be up at ten in the morning.

He considered going back to sleep for a half second but before he could crawl back under the covers his stomach growled. Peter headed downstairs and to the kitchen, freezing at the sight of a tiny dark haired girl sitting at the table with a bowl of cereal for a beat in surprise. Peter shuffled forward, making sure to be noisy enough to not scare her, and opened the fridge as she watched him intently.

Peter got an omelette started and turned back to Morgan with a smile. "Hey there, you must be Morgan- I'm Peter, I'm a friend of your dad's."

Morgan smiled back at him cautiously, studying his face closely without speaking. "Hi Peter," she whispered after a moment, glancing down at where the omelette was sizzling away with interest.

"It's really nice to meet you Morgan, can I interest you in an omelette?" Peter asked brightly, peeking through the cupboards for a plate for her as she nodded eagerly. A photo caught his eye as he was turning to take the omelette to her and on his way back to make his own he paused to take a closer look curiously.

"Thank you! S'really good!" she exclaimed from behind him through a mouthful of omelette as he stared at the picture of him and Tony with his Internship certificate in surprise. "Daddy really missed you."

Peter jumped and spun to look at her with wide eyes. "Wha- Uh, what do you mean?"

"You're from the picture, sometimes I'd sneak down after bed time for a cookie and he'd be looking at that picture and he'd tell me stories bout how brave you were and your adventures and stuff, said you were the best person he'd ever known," she replied matter of factly, in between massive bites of omelette.

"Wow, r-really? He really said that?" Peter stammered, cheeks flushing at the praise as a pleased thrill shot through him and his heart started to race.

Morgan nodded solemnly at him while she chewed and Peter turned back to his omelette with a grin. "Do you know my middle name? Daddy said it was a lot to live up to but he believed in me."

"Your middle name?" Peter repeated as he plated the second omelette and all the hairs on his arms stood on end. Peter's eyes went to the door instinctively and he caught Tony peering around the corner at them, Tony just grinned at him and strode into the room.

"Morgan Parker Stark!" Tony exclaimed with an exaggerated wounded pout. "You'll give him a big head! Is that an omelette?"

Peter gaped at Tony as a surge of fond needy warmth rose up in his chest, flattered beyond words that Tony'd named his kid after him. He cleared his throat and slid the plate to Tony as he got a third omelette started. He eyed Tony's reflection in the window, mouth going suddenly dry as he realized just how on display Tony's muscles were in the white tank top he'd paired with lowslung black lounge pants.

He managed to ignore the arousal burning in the back of his mind until they'd finished breakfast and he excused himself to his room. There wasn't a lock on the door so he leaned against it just in case someone tried to come in and shoved a hand down his pants desperately, not lasting more than a couple minutes at best as all the different dreams he'd had over the years flashed through his mind with a much more detailed and confidently imagined subject.

Peter panted hard against the door, waiting for his heart to stop racing as he came down from the orgasm and bit his lip. He'd told himself when Pepper literally died in front of him that he wasn't even going to think about his crush on Tony until the other man was done grieving and he was starting to realize exactly how impossible that was going to be.


	2. Chapter 2

          The next few days flew by in a blur. Tony had seemed almost normal at first but, as time went on and the empty bottles by the sink piled up, he began to look more outwardly disheveled. Peter did his best to keep Morgan outside and away from him, thinking the best thing to do would be to give Tony space to work through his emotions, but Tony's state of distress only became more pronounced and impossible to hide.

          Tony had missed the last two bedtimes, locked away in his lab as far as he could tell, so Peter had taken to reading her stories until she fell asleep. He hadn't seen Tony at meal times either so he wasn't sure if he was eating and he was too busy with Morgan to seek him out. 

          That night, when Peter finished reading, Morgan looked up at him solemnly and whispered, "Is Daddy gonna go away like Mommy did?"

          Peter's eyes went wide and his throat closed off as he struggled to find words to respond.

          Her eyebrows drew together as her expression turned determined and she added, "It's okay, you can tell me, I'm brave-"

          "N-No!" Peter blurted out, clearing his throat and trying to clear the panic from his voice. "Morgan no, of course not- Mr. Stark, your dad just- He's really really sad right now and he needs some time to remember how to be happy."

          "Mommy used to tickle his back when he was sad about your picture, _I_ could- D'you think it'd help if I-"

          Peter shook his head gently and she trailed off as he said apologetically, "Oh Morgan, I think maybe that might make him feel really sad right now-"

          "Oh," Morgan said softly, looking thoughtful and sad and so so small. "Cause of Mommy, cause he misses her too."

          Peter's heart ached as he tried to hide the sobs trying to crawl out of his chest, biting his lip as he nodded at her. "Yeah kiddo, he really does but don't you worry alright? Spiderman's on it!"

          She brightened a little at that and offered up a tiny smile. "Thanks Spiderman!"

          "Now what do you say we do an extra story tonight?" Peter asked, grinning as he pulled up another story on his tablet while she nodded eagerly.

          "Can I have a g'night kiss?" Morgan asked after the second story, sounding mostly asleep already as Peter smiled down at her in surprise.

          "Yeah, course," he huffed with a laugh, leaning in and brushing a kiss against her forehead before standing to head downstairs in search of Tony.

          Peter froze when he reached the kitchen, breath catching in his chest at the sight of a shirtless grease stained Tony lounging against the counter drinking gin right out of the bottle. He darted back to his room before Tony could see him and grabbed his phone.

           **Peter's Cell[12:54AM]** 911 Lakehouse can you come out here tomorrow?

           **MJ's Cell[12:55AM]** You okay?

           **Ned's Cel[12:55AM]** What's going on? Can it really wait til tomorrow? We can come out now if you need us to, just say the word!

           **Peter's Cell[12:56AM]** It's fine, just need some back up. Mr. Stark's in a bad way, need help with Morgan so I can figure out how to help him.

           **MJ's Cell[12:56AM]** See you in the morning P

          Peter texted them a quick thanks and crept back out to peek down the stairs. The kitchen was empty and he sighed, relieved. He hoped that meant Mr. Stark had gone to bed but as he made his way back to his room with his glass of water he saw Tony's room was still empty.

          MJ and Ned showed up around nine the next morning, Peter let them in and shushed them as he gestured to them to follow as he crept upstairs to his room without waking anyone else up. They spent the morning catching up and sifting through all of Peter's new stuff. Ned had brought his bong and MJ had brought an ounce of weed, Peter had never been more grateful for his friends.

          A couple hours later, the calm was split by a loud off key rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody that sounded like it was coming from the kitchen. Peter's eyes widened and MJ darted over to the door inquisitively.

          "Is he wasted already?" MJ hissed back at Peter, peering through the cracked door in the direction of Tony's drunken singing. "Dude, it's only eleven in the morning-"

          "He probably hasn't been to sleep, not that that makes it any better but-" Peter bit his lip from the bed and flopped back with a sigh. Three days and the only time he'd seen Tony sober had been the first breakfast.

          "What about Morgan? Peter, she's just a little kid-" Ned said urgently from the window, staring out at where Morgan was playing pretend in her fort.

          "Whenever she's not in her fort I've been reading to her and playing with her to keep her distracted but I can't keep an eye on Tony while I'm with her so he's just totally out of control-" Peter groaned, scrubbing at his eyes in frustration. "I don't know what to do. I was going to talk to him last night but he was shirtless in the kitchen chugging alcohol and-"

          "And he was far too intimidatingly hot and unpredictable for your raging boner to handle?" MJ finished for him with an eyebrow waggle.

          "Oh fuck off," Peter snorted before he shrugged and conceded, "But yeah, basically."

          "Well, I'm not sure how we can help you with that- I mean, I dunno what superpower would be needed to make Tony Stark less attractive but I sure as heck don't got it," Ned laughed, hitting the bong and wandering over to sit on the edge of the bed.

          MJ shook her head and frowned, striding out of the room without another word. Peter and Ned chased after her, pausing at the top of the stairs and watching in horror as she marched up to Tony and yanked the bottle out of his hand.

          "At least he's wearing a shirt now," Peter whispered to Ned.

          "Yeah but it's buttoned totally wrong," Ned pointed out as MJ and Tony stared each other down.

          MJ spoke first, breaking the silence with an order. "You're hiring Ned and I as full time nannies, I'll set up our wages with Peter."

          Tony saluted her unsteadily, snickered, and tugged the bottle back out of her hand. "Yes ma'am!"

          "Ned," MJ shouted up the stairs. "We're going outside to play with Morgan, Peter! Get down here and do something with this mess."

          Ned shot Peter a look and ran down the stairs after a quick, "Good luck!"

          Peter rolled his eyes as the door slammed behind them and headed down to collect the drunk.

          "Hey, Mr. Stark uh- C'mon, let's get you upstairs- Yeah?" Peter reached out to Tony's shoulder, guiding him to the stairs with an encouraging smile. "Did you uh- Did you manage to get any sleep last night?"

          "Psshleep-" Tony scoffed, snorting at the idea and stumbling as he shook his head. "Can't sleep, bed's all wrong, too big- too empty."

          "Friday? Do you know when the last time Tony slept was?" Peter called out apprehensively as he ducked under Tony's arm for support, mostly carrying him up the stairs.

          "My records show Boss waking from a nightmare the night of the funeral as the last time he woke, it's been about 88 hours."

          "Jesus, the hell were you thinking sir?" Peter snapped, stomach dropping as he pulled Tony into the master bathroom. "You smell like tequila, gin, and whiskey mixed with so much coffee it's basically seeping out of your pores- What are you trying to do, kill yourself?"

          Tony looked over at him with wide drunk eyes. "You can _smell_ all that? Seriously? Buuuuuullshit-"

          Peter quirked an eyebrow, and his nostrils flared as he took in a good whiff. "I can smell all that and a handful of chemicals that tells me you've been in the lab, I can smell the cheeseburger you ate earlier and the small spot on your wrist that you burned in the process of making it because I would assume you were hammered at the time. And I know you haven't showered because I can smell three and a half days worth of sweat and-"

          Peter paused and sniffed again, cheeks going pink as he glanced down at Tony's pants before he could stop himself. Jizz, Tony'd been spending a lot of time masturbating by the smell of it and, before he could come up with something else to say, Tony burst out laughing.

          "Sweat and?" Tony asked, eyes dancing across the bathroom at Peter from where he was propping himself up on the counter. "Are you trying to tell me you can smell how much I've been jerking off?"

          "I can smell everything, alright?" Peter snapped, hating the way he felt his face go beet red. "Now are you sober enough to not drown in there?"

          Tony leered across the space at him and Peter's heart started to race. "Oh definitely not, I go in alone now and I'm an absolute goner."

          "Oh for fuck's sake," Peter grunted, eyes rolling skyward as he tried to get it together. "Alright, fine then, shirt off, let's go-"

          Tony fumbled with his shirt buttons exaggeratedly for a few seconds before looking up at Peter with a grin. "I'm clearly far too _drunk_ to get this shirt off, maybe you wanna help me sugar?"

          Peter blinked at him, stunned for a second as he processed the pet name. "You're delirious," Peter muttered, shuffling closer and quickly unbuttoning the shirt before he stepped back again.

          Peter nodded at his pants and crossed his arms, trying not to look as flustered as he felt. "Pants."

          Tony grinned and leaned back against the sink, shrugging his shirt off and almost overbalancing as he crossed his arms back at him. " _Help._ "

          Peter laughed helplessly, shaking his head at him incredulously. "You're fucking trashed man, lock it up."

          Peter stepped closer again and reached out, flicking the button open gingerly. Tony let out a showy moan as Peter dragged the zipper down and winked at him. "Slower-"

          "Oh yeah?" Peter shot back, slowly inching the unzipped pants down Tony's hips as he teased, "Slow enough for you Mr. Stark?"

          Tony hummed as the pants fell down around his ankles and licked his lips when Peter swayed a little closer to murmur, "You're really testing my control today sir, now do me a favor and get in the fucking shower?"

          Tony choked on a laugh, staring at Peter in delight. "Since when d'you swear like this? I love it, never stop."

          "You're not even going to remember this when you wake up old man, I could say anything right now," Peter giggled back breathlessly, herding Tony back into the shower and turning the water on.

          Tony yelped as the cold water hit him and dragged Peter in after him as a human shield. "Did you just call me an old man?"

          Peter reached back and adjusted the water quickly, sighing as his clothes slowly soaked through under the spray and Tony sat down in the tub. Peter crouched down out of the way of the spray, mouth going a little dry as he watched the rivulets of water cascading down Tony's body and soaking the thin fabric of his boxer briefs.

          Peter could feel himself getting hard in his wet pajama bottoms as he forced himself to look back to Tony's face. Tony was smirking at him, well aware that he was being ogled by the looks of it. "Wash my hair for me? I'm so old, I just can't imagine lifting my poor feeble arms li-"

          "Oh shove it," Peter snorted, shuffling closer and reaching over Tony's shoulder for the shampoo. Peter was squatting carefully between Tony's spread legs as he slipped his fingers into Tony's hair. Tony groaned and slid his hands up the outsides of Peter's thighs. Arousal flooded Peter's body at the touch and he tipped backwards onto his ass.

          Tony caught him by the shoulders before he could hit his head and Peter carefully extended his legs behind Tony around his waist. "Would you hold still and let me wash your hair?"

          Tony didn't respond and Peter followed his stare down to where his rigid erection was plainly visible through the soaked material. "Would _you_ hold still and let me-" Tony purred, a hand sliding up the inside of Peter's thigh until Peter caught it in a vice grip.

          "Nope, no way, you- Tony you're way too drunk to- This isn't- Shit, please sir we-"

          "Okay, alright, fine- Adult choice Parker, fuck- Look at you kid, I want-" Tony's hand retreated and he ducked into the crook of Peter's neck as Peter massaged the suds into his hair. He moaned against Peter's neck, mouthing wetly at his pulsepoint as he murmured, "I want you so much right now, s'wrong I know- You're right, I would usually keep it to myself, I know I'm too drunk, but you're touching me and it feels so fucking good and you're _so_ hard for me- I can't-"

          Peter whimpered, cock throbbing at the feel of Tony's tongue laving at his throat. "T-Tony, Tony shhh- We can't- Fuck-"

          "If you'd let me kid, I'd make you feel so good-"

          Peter shivered as goosebumps broke out across his skin and snagged the soap, running the suds over Tony's back. "You already are, you're making this very difficult."

          "Which is funny cause I'm really very easy-"

          "Tony-"

          "Oh-" Tony went still and Peter eyed his expression warily, hopping out of the tub a split second before Tony gagged and hurled in the direction of the drain abruptly. 

          Peter waited until Tony was catching his breath before darting back to his room for the bong and weed Ned had brought him. He dropped it off in Tony's bedroom and ran back to the bathroom, turning the water off and wrapping Tony in a fluffy towel.

          Tony allowed Peter to lead him down the hallway but balked at the doorway to his room, face darkening as he gathered the strength to enter the room. Peter deposited him on the edge of the bed and tossed some pajamas his way, changing into a pair himself and packing the bong.

          "Is that marijuana?" Tony asked, startled out of his melancholy by the sheer absurdity of Peter Parker holding drugs.

          "Yes, you're going to smoke it to settle your stomach and calm you down so you can sleep-"

          Tony was already shaking his head, dread settling into his bones again at the idea of sleeping alone. "I can't slee- I don't- It's too much, waking up and finding the bed so _empty_ so I'm not- I'm done with sleep, me and sleep? No longer friends."

          "I'll stay, if you want, if you don't want to be alone then I get it and I'll stay with you while you sleep Mr. Stark, but you have to sleep," Peter replied softly, sitting on the bed next to him and pressing the bong into his hands. "Now hit this." 

          Tony looked down at the bong and back up at Peter dubiously. "I haven't smoked since I was in college kid, I don't know-"

          "What were you saying about not being an old man?" Peter quipped, grinning when Tony sparked up without another word. Peter took it back from him while he coughed and hit it before passing it back.

          Tony scooted back after another long hit and laid back on top of the comforter, still noticeably hard in his pajama bottoms. "Can't believe you're really back," he said on a sigh, looking up at the ceiling. "Can't believe you're really in my house with me after all those years where you were de-"

          "Well, I'm not now-" Peter interrupted, stomach lurching unpleasantly as he remembered dissolving and trying to change the subject. "I can't believe we were actually in space,"

          "I can't believe _you_ smoke weed," Tony snorted, grinning down at Peter.

          "I can't believe you're so drunk and sleep deprived that you think you wanna sleep with _me_ ," Peter giggled, setting the bong on the side table and settling back against the headboard next to Tony.

          "I always wanna sleep with you kid, I just usually know better," Tony said through a yawn.

          "You're gonna regret telling me that when you're sober," Peter whispered, hands tingling with the want to drag Tony to him and kiss him silly.

          "I'm not gonna 'member tellin' you that when I'm sober," Tony muttered, reaching down and groping at himself lewdly. "M'so fuckin' hard, room's spinning like a goddamn top."

          "Close your eyes sir," Peter whispered after a minute, watching as Tony's fingers shifted along his cock through the material and trying to remember how to breathe.

          "Promise you're not gonna leave?" Tony mumbled, eyes drifting shut as he waited for Peter's reassurance.

          "Not going anywhere-" Peter rolled over and scooted back to press his back into Tony's side firmly. "You're not alone, go to sleep."

          Tony pressed his lips to the back of Peter's head with a soft "Thanks kid" and Peter fought back a wave of tears at the sheer gratitude in Tony's voice. Before long, the room was filled with Tony's gentle snoring and Peter sent MJ a quick text to let her know not to expect him back downstairs until Tony woke up before settling in to join him.


	3. Chapter 3

          Peter slowly drifted back to awareness, the scent of coffee foreign and warm as it flooded his senses. His eyes blinked open, squinting immediately at the setting sun streaming through the picture window and throwing a hand up as Tony's amused voice ordered Friday to close the blinds.

          He turned to find Tony sitting against the headboard, one knee propped up and the other leg splayed out along Peter's side over the blanket as he sipped a mug of coffee. Peter frowned slightly, eyebrows furrowing as he peered up at Tony groggily.

          "Hang on, what are you- I'm not the one who's supposed to be sleeping here!"

          Tony looked at him for a moment, a small fond smile tickling at his lips as his eyes flicked over Peter's tousled hair and the pillow crease on his cheek. "It's been six hours according to Friday, I woke up. Needed coffee, you were drooling so I figured I'd-"

          "I was what?!" Peter yelped, hand sliding up to wipe at his mouth reflexively. "Hey- I was not! And six hours isn't enough sleep, Friday told me you'd been up for 88 hours Mr. Stark!"

          Tony shrugged and sipped his coffee again. "I mean, I usually only manage two hours at a time anyways so I'm basically caught up in a way-"

          "That's not how it works and you know it sir," Peter groaned, stretching then shifting up to sit next to Tony. "How are you feeling? You were pretty- Well, I mean- Uh-"

          "Drunk, Mr. Parker, I believe drunk would be the word you are looking for." Tony grimaced and looked away. "Yeah, I- Look, that was- I'm sorry you had to see- To deal with that. With me."

          "What do you remember?" Peter asked tentatively, reaching for the bong and trying to restrain the blush rising in his cheeks at the memory of the morning.

          "Not a ton, I've pretty much mastered the black out at this stage of my life. I can tell I'm showered which I know from my history with Pep means you showered me, I think I remember hurling in the tub? I definitely remember you getting me high which is where things taper off again. Did I-" Tony paused as something like embarrassment flickered over his face. "I asked you not to leave? Knowing why I wasn't sleeping, I assume I-"

          "I offered to stay-" Peter blurted, anxiety fluttering in his chest at the shame he could see twisting behind Tony's mild self deprecating smile. "Tony- Mr. Stark, I- Please don't worry, it wasn't any trouble at all. I'm here for you too, remember?"

          "I remember kid but that's not-" Tony broke off with a rough sigh, scrubbing a hand over his face in frustration as he struggled to find the words. "You shouldn't have to- _Being here_ for me doesn't- _can't_ \- include being in my bed, not that I don't appreciate- Fucking hell, this is a mess. _I'm_ a mess-"

          Peter reached out and stole the mug out of his hands, replacing it with the the bong seamlessly. "Seriously, I didn't mind Mr. Stark- I _like_ being able to be here for you, wherever you need me sir!"

          "It's not about you _minding_ Peter, Jesus, it's-" Tony winced a little and bit his lip as he forced himself to continue. "Whether you mind or not kid, it's not okay for me to- There are places I shouldn't need you, like the fucking shower and my _bed_ Pete- Do you get what I'm saying?"

          "Of course I-" Peter sighed heavily, feeling his face go scarlet with how much he fully understood what Tony was saying and glancing at the bong impatiently. "Would you hit that? I know what you're saying, I'm just saying I can sleep next to you if it helps you sleep without- I dunno, making it weird or whatever. If you need help showering, I can do that too. Wherever you happen to need me is exactly where I should be."

          "But-"

          "Whether you like it or not sir, you need me. And I need you to let me help you. May couldn't sleep through the night by herself for six months after we lost Ben- I _understand_ what you're going through, I know it's hard but I need you to let me be here for you because watching you struggle through it alone is going to kill me."

          Peter waited silently, watching as Tony's face contorted through a rapid series of emotions before going carefully blank again. Tony nodded sharply at him and lifted the bong to his lips, taking a hit and setting it on the nightstand.

          "I didn't know how you took your coffee so I brought you a caramel latte a la Friday, trade ya?" Tony held out a second mug, this one was topped with whipped cream and Peter sniffed at it curiously.

          Peter poked his tongue out to scoop up a little whipped cream with a tiny happy sound and Tony bit his lip with an audible swallow. Peter's eyes leapt to Tony's at the sound and he caught a hint of that same need he'd seen that morning lurking in the depths of his eyes. 

          "Wow, thanks!" Peter exclaimed, looking down at his drink to give Tony a second to get his face back under control as he mused, "You know, I've actually never tried coffee before? The smell gives May migraines so we never had it around the apartment, and all the fancy coffee drinks are too expensive."

          Tony's eyebrows jumped up a little and a corner of his mouth quirked up, all trace of arousal wiped from existence save for the subtle musky scent Peter was picking up in the space between them. "Never? You've really never had coffee before? That's- I mean, I was hooked on caffeine by the time I was double digits."

          Peter took a hesitant sip, face lighting up as the sweet taste flooded his mouth. "Holy crap, this is so good!"

          Tony grinned at him and finished off his own mug. "Well, you're in luck kid cause there's an espresso machine in both the kitchen and the lab and Friday can make you whatever you want whenever you want. Go wild."

          Peter snorted and took another drink. "This place is unbelievable, it's like living with Willy Wonka."

          Tony snickered as he climbed off the bed and gestured grandly toward the door. "I'm in need of a refill so I'm off to the chocolate factory, you comin'?" 

          Peter scrambled off the bed, nearly spilling his drink in his haste to follow. "Are you finally gonna gimme a tour of your lab? I've been dying to check out all your equipment but I didn't want to intrude!"

          "Friday, upgrade Peter's access to the system. All access pass Fri, anything I touch Peter can touch- Capiche?" Tony waited for Friday's affirmative and glanced back at Peter with a hand on the door handle. "Oh, I tucked Morgan in already but _someone_ was specially requested to stop in for a goodnight kiss. I'll meet you in the kitchen then we can head down."

          Morgan was very nearly sleeping when Peter crept in and over to her bed. He brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face and she shifted sleepily. "Thank you Spider-Man," she breathed out so softly Peter wasn't sure he'd have heard it without his enhanced hearing.

          He leaned in and kissed her forehead, whispering, "G'night Morgan, sweet dreams."

          Peter downed the last of his latte as he approached the kitchen, setting it on the counter and accepting a new mug from Tony with a grin. There was a gentle buzzing starting up under his skin that he figured must be the caffeine, smoothing out his nerves and making him more comfortable in his body.

          He followed Tony down the stairs and through a long hall off the basement, finally ending up in a state of the art lab. Peter looked around in awe, gaze getting caught on the glass ceiling. The lab was built under the lake and the colors of the sunset filtered through the water to turn the space into a dreamscape.

          "You like?" Tony quipped, self assured grin already plastered on his face as he spread his arms grandly to indicate the entirety of the lab.

          "This place is amazing Mr. Stark! I-I've never seen anything like it!" Peter exclaimed, wandering a few more steps into the lab as his eyes flitted over all the equipment. "I don't even know what half this shit even-"

          "Language!" Tony interrupted him, throwing him a dramatic scandalized expression over his shoulder as he wandered over to his worktable. The corners of Peter's lips twitched up into a secretive smile that he tried somewhat unsuccessfully to hide in his latte, barely resisting the temptation to point out that Drunk Tony had liked his filthy mouth just fine.

          "Sorry sir," Peter retorted, eyebrows jumping up teasingly as he swiped his tongue across his top lip to clean off the whipped cream. "I don't know what half this stuff even does, better?"

          Tony's mouth went a little dry as he ripped his eyes away from Peter's mouth, silently berating himself because Peter probably didn't even have a clue how suggestive he looked and even if he _did_ know he definitely shouldn't let the kid know that he _noticed_.

          Peter's cheeks went pink when Tony's eyes snapped up from his lips abruptly and he turned, walking over to the assortment of robots huddled off to the side. "These guys are pretty cool Mr. Stark, what uh-" Peter glanced back at Tony with as innocent of a smile as he could muster, fighting back the louder than usual voice telling him to tease and flirt and remind Tony that he was also an adult. "What do they do?"

          "Who, Dum-E? Nothing, absolutely nothing- Well, does making messes and breaking things count? Cause he's brilliant at that," Tony rattled off, smiling back easily despite the arousal setting off alarm bells in his head.

          Over the next hour or two, Peter caught himself sucking on pencils, licking whipped cream off his fingers and lips, ignoring chairs in favor of leaning over the table tops with his back arched, standing too close to Tony's back when looking over his shoulder, and letting his fingers fumble against Tony's when being passed tools.

          At first he'd been embarrassed but the only reason he noticed he was doing any of it in the first place was because he kept catching Tony staring. Peter could hear Tony's heart beating faster and harder, the rapid pace nearly echoing in his head, could smell the salt and arousal in Tony's sweat, could almost _feel_ the weight of Tony's gaze on him and the longer it went on the more he wanted to push.

          He was over by the espresso station for another refill, absent-mindedly sucking whipped cream off his finger as he turned to head back to the desk. Peter jumped when they made eye contact and Tony swallowed hard when he didn't immediately look away this time. 

          Arousal pulsed warmly through Peter's body as Tony blinked back at him looking startled and caught out. Peter felt like he was watching from somewhere outside his body as his tongue swiped out to slowly and deliberately drag across his lip without breaking eye contact.

          Tony's eyes widened and he cleared his throat, turning back to his project quickly and panicking as he realized Peter was definitely aware of the effect he was having. He glanced back over at Peter furtively, noting the rosy cheeks and dilated pupils and slight sheen of sweat on Peter's face.

          "You're really digging the coffee, huh kid? What is that, number six?" Tony remarked lightly, tapping at the side of his glasses as he pulled up Peter's vitals discreetly.

          "Seven actually, I can't believe I'd never tried it before- It's great!" Peter exclaimed, eyeing Tony curiously. He was clearly looking at something on his display and not paying any attention. "What are you working on over there?"

          Tony didn't respond, attention fully fixed on the wildly fluctuating vitals of his lab partner as he tried to decipher what the hell he was looking at. Peter frowned, displeasure blooming through him at the snub. Everything felt intensified, kind of like when he'd first gained his powers but less scary because he was more accustomed to his extreme senses.

          Peter grinned hazily and walked slightly unsteadily over to Tony, distantly remembering that he had been trying to resist the slowly rising tension between them but unable to recall exactly why. He leaned around Tony's shoulder and peered down at Tony's workspace as he asked again, "What are you working on over here?"

          "Jesus, Pete, warn a guy- You're gonna give me a heart attack," Tony snapped, heart stuttering as he realized he could feel the heat rolling off of Peter.

          "I can hear your heart sir, I'd know if it ever did anything more than just skip a beat or two," Peter murmured teasingly, weaving a little in place behind him. 

          "Alright, what's going on?" Tony asked, crossing his arms and turning to face Peter. Peter didn't budge, much to Tony's consternation, which left them standing far too close as far as he was concerned. "Are you on something? Ecstasy or MDMA or something? Your vitals are all over the place kid and you're burning u-"

          "On something?" Peter interrupted, head tilting as his thoughts raced incoherently. He shook his head to try to clear his thoughts and stammered, "I-Fuck, no I just-"

          "Language!" Tony blurted out, eyes narrowing at Peter suspiciously. "Seriously, what's gotten into you Parker?"

          "You know, you really didn't seem to mind my dirty mouth this morning," Peter shot back absently, tone flirtatious as he took stock of himself and realized something was wrong. 

          "I- You- _What?!"_   Tony sputtered, casting back for any scraps of memories and getting nothing but a split second of himself smirking as he leaned against a counter.

          "Fuck, I didn't mean to say that," Peter gasped, eyes widening as he realized his impulse control was effectively shot. "Something's wrong. I'm- This is- I'm not on anything, I've just been drinking Friday's lattes I swear but everything's- It's like- Twirly? And everything feels really fizzy and like- God sir, you smell so good I can barely even concentrate."

          "Friday?" Tony called out expectantly, freezing as Peter swayed forward the last few inches and dipped in close enough that his nose was lightly grazing the side of Tony's neck as he inhaled deeply. "Peter!"

          Peter jumped a little and whined softly, trying to pull away and failing. "I'm so sorry, you just- Fuck, you smell so good I can't-"

          "Nothing in the coffee would have anything like this type of effect on a typical human being Boss, Peter however does have a unique profile so I can't say with certainty that nothing in it would have caused this type of effect in him." Friday's voice was calm as always, bright and cheerful and reliable.

          Tony jolted in place as Peter nuzzled into his neck again, a tiny wet lick and the accompanying strangled groan sending his hand shooting up to latch into Peter's hair where it was longer towards the top. Tony yanked hard, dragging Peter away from his neck so he could get a handle on the situation, and Peter gasped raggedly.

          " _Ooohnnngh_ Mr. S- What the fu-" Peter ground out, jaw clenched and entire body shivering in place. "Oh my God, that feels amazing sir- Please, please I can't- Fuck-"

          Tony's mouth opened and shut a few times as he gaped at Peter, he tried to let go of Peter's hair but his fingers were locked. He watched as Peter's eyes darted around his face, slowly seeming to focus on Tony's eyes as uncertainty flooded his features.

          "I'm- Oh my G- Mr. Stark, I'm so sorry, something- I know you don't- I just promised you I wouldn't make it weird and all I want is to respect that but I just _can't think_ ," Peter broke off into a whine. "This is- It's real right? The last time my senses were this wrong it- It wasn't real."

          "What are you talking about Parker?" Tony's eyes narrowed and he slowly released Peter's hair, stuffing a hand in his pocket as he leaned back against his desk.

          "Y'member how I went on that class trip to Europe over the summ- Oh, uh, well I guess it was a while ago for you now but right before the blip?" Peter said in a distracted rush, attention caught on the tendons standing out in Tony's neck.

          "Yeah, Happy said something about elementals? He told me you had it under control so I let you do your own-"

          "I didn't have it under control sir, I- I really fucked up actually- Happy was just covering for me cause I didn't want you to think less of me," Peter mumbled, swaying forward slightly as the scent of Tony clouded his mind again.

          "Happy did what now?" Peter tipped even closer and Tony's hand flew up to brace against his chest with a warning stare. "Peter!"

          "I trusted the wrong person and it really bit me in the ass Mr. Stark," Peter jumped and looked down at Tony's hand nervously, one hand coming up to cover Tony's where it was pressed against his chest. "Tell me something only you'd know-"

          " _What happened?"_ Tony demanded, the warmth of Peter's palm against the back of his hand radiating up his arm and through the rest of his body.

          Peter flinched and his hand tightened momentarily on Tony's at the force of the question. "Do you remember a guy who used to work for you called Quentin-"

          " _Beck?!"_ Tony felt like he'd been sucker punched and he searched Peter's face frantic for him to correct him, heart sinking at the flicker of fear in Peter's face. "What the fuck did that crazy bastard do to you?"

          "He made me see things, things that weren't real. It felt- Well, it felt kind of like this?" Peter murmured, eyes drifting shut as he felt outward with his tingle. "You feel- You feel real though, you _smell_ real-"

          "When we met, I threatened to tell your aunt about your powers and you webbed me to the door," Tony replied quickly, fury rolling through him as all the possible things Beck could have done to Peter flew through his head and resisting the urge to drag the entire story out of Peter that very second. "I'm real, this is real, we're in my lab at the lakehouse. Friday, any ideas?"

          "I checked with our other guests, it appears neither of them have ever witnessed this type of reaction in Peter before but Ms. Jones brought up an interesting fact about spiders that I believe may have some relevance to this incident."

          "And?" Tony prompted, reaching up with his other hand to push Peter's hair out of his face gently. He kept his face carefully blank as the noise the contact wrenched out of Peter went straight to his cock.

          "There was a study done regarding the effect of caffeine on spiders, the results indicated that it inhibited their cognitive thought and fine motor skills. This may be an extension of that characteristic."

          "Sounds like you're on strictly decaf from now on kid," Tony told him, relief welling up in his chest at the knowledge that Peter wasn't dying or anything. "Let's get you some water to flush it out of your system and we'll just wait it out. How about a movie or something?"

          Peter nodded dumbly and allowed Tony to guide him back towards the hallway and the house, he figured he should probably have guessed the first time he tried coffee would be a disaster- Normal things just didn't happen to him.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! It's been ages, lots going on IRL that is taking up all available time but I couldn't get this out of my head. I'll update when I can! Let me know what you think, if this is even worth continuing, what aspects of this premise intrigue you, etc. As always, all my love and thanks for reading!


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